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Thread: yellow sap

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Groton, Ma
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    30

    Default yellow sap

    Anyone else out there get some crazy yellow sap from today and yesterday? The wind has been crazy, not sure if thats why?
    90+ Buckets
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,547

    Default

    No, I hope the sap couldn't have been sabotaged.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Pepperell, MA
    Posts
    37

    Default

    I wonder if all the wind we had might have opened up a crack exposing the sap to some dead wood.
    2018 - 5 reds on buckets with cinder block arch
    2019 - 25 reds on drops to buckets
    2020 - 55 reds on drops to buckets
    2021 - 80 reds on drops to buckets
    2022 - 80 reds on drops to buckets
    2023 - 80 reds, 15 on gravity, Smoky Lake StarCat Evaporator

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Groton, Ma
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    30

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    Its all back to clear. Was just one run, maybe 70% of buckets had some yellowing, one was like mustard! We didn't have any precipitation and it wasn't warm. I've had a few over the years that run yellow for a day or too but never this many at once. Heck , once I even had purple sap from one tap!
    90+ Buckets
    Mason 2x4 Raised Flue (the micro-beast)
    Polaris Atv w/tracks and trailer with gathering tank
    Polaris Snowmachine for years with snow
    wood, wood, wood
    dogs, ducks, cat, kids, wife

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Putnam County, Ohio
    Posts
    377

    Default

    That's pretty normal to see from season to season. When it occurs, always at the end of run, a tap or two will have yellow sap. Once they get going again the sap clears up. I've never seen purple though and I have never had many taps do that at once either.
    RC Maple

    14X14 sugarhouse - new for 2012
    RO Bucket - RB10 - New for 2019
    2x3 barrel evaporator with continuous flow pan
    55 taps - most on buckets
    This is next year!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Groton, Ma
    Posts
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    Default

    Yep, ive had the occasional end of run, or rain induced yellow but never in such a high percentage of buckets. It tasted and smelled fine when I processed it so no idea. Coincidently I had one bucket yesterday that ran purple.20210316_172206.jpg
    90+ Buckets
    Mason 2x4 Raised Flue (the micro-beast)
    Polaris Atv w/tracks and trailer with gathering tank
    Polaris Snowmachine for years with snow
    wood, wood, wood
    dogs, ducks, cat, kids, wife

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Oakville, ON
    Posts
    144

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    Had a few occasional buckets with yellowish sap. Usually back to clear the next day. Never figured out the cause! I did have 5 buckets once that were bright green that had me totally confused until I found a green piece of candy on side of the last bucket! Guess some kid wanted to see what would happen! Dont know what type of candy it was but it dissolved fast in cold sap! Luckily I'd already decided to throw out those buckets or I'd likely have had green tinged syrup!
    2023 - 130 taps, 90L from 4,000L as of mid March
    2021 - 84 taps, 50L from 2100L
    2020 - 100 taps on buckets, 21L syrup from 2700L so far (FEB 26-Mar 13) and then the pandemic hit! End of our season!
    2019 - 62 taps on buckets, 95L syrop from 3215L sap
    2018 - 62 taps, collecting by hand, 90L syrop from 3200L sap
    2017 - Lapierre Waterloo Small mini pro with 40 taps
    2014 - 2016 40 taps making one or two batches on a 2x6 flat pan over an open arch as it would have been done in 1900

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Groton, Ma
    Posts
    30

    Default

    Heres another purple bucket. One side of the sugar maple, the other side perfectly clear. Different tree than last . Both full buckets! 20210318_133849.jpg
    90+ Buckets
    Mason 2x4 Raised Flue (the micro-beast)
    Polaris Atv w/tracks and trailer with gathering tank
    Polaris Snowmachine for years with snow
    wood, wood, wood
    dogs, ducks, cat, kids, wife

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    I have never had purple sap! I'm thinking easter egg dying??

    Seriously, I have had red-tinged sap, and I believe it is just bacteria. It usually happens when there is only a small amount of sap in the bucket. I'm going to guess your purple sap is also bacteria. Having said that, I keep it unless it is really redish.
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Groton, Ma
    Posts
    30

    Default

    Thats just one days run, and now its back to clear. It was only out for the day so I doubt bacteria had enough time to develop in the bucket.
    90+ Buckets
    Mason 2x4 Raised Flue (the micro-beast)
    Polaris Atv w/tracks and trailer with gathering tank
    Polaris Snowmachine for years with snow
    wood, wood, wood
    dogs, ducks, cat, kids, wife

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